"If you don't defend, rebound and turn it over, you don't give yourself a chance to win," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Early start, we have to be ready. I have to do a better job of getting them ready."

Rudy Gay's 24 points led four Grizzlies in double figures. Huge double-doubles from Marc Gasol and Marreese Speights allowed an opponent to outrebound the Bulls for the first time in 12 games.

The Bulls trailed by 27 points in the third quarter when a small, pressing lineup of Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Taj Gibson, Omer Asik and C.J. Watson pulled them within 83-74 with 8 minutes, 22 seconds left in the game.

However, Luol Deng, who replaced Korver and led the Bulls with 20 points, committed a turnover and Gibson and Watson followed suit. The Grizzlies responded with a 9-0 run to put the game away.

"When you allow easy shots early on, it allows them to get confidence," Thibodeau said. "Once a player has that in this league, it's much harder to slow them down. They made tough shots later in the game, but that was after they had gotten a ton of easy shots."

Watson (17 points) and Gibson (16) played well off the bench. That small, pressing lineup meant Joakim Noah and Boozer didn't play in the fourth quarter again.

"Carlos offensively was very good, particularly to start," Thibodeau said. "We were in a scramble situation and getting something out of the press. That all factored into it. Omer gave us the shot blocking and Taj was doing the trapping. Ronnie, Luol and C.J. are good at passing lanes and getting deflections.

"They played with more energy than us," Noah said. "I'm disappointed in how we played."

Rose, who also has a sinus infection, admitted afterward the team is leaning toward sitting him Tuesday against the Suns. Two sources said he is sitting because he is having bad reactions to pain medication for his sprained left big toe and couldn't take them Monday.

"If it was up to me, yeah, I want to play (Tuesday)," Rose said. "I'm going to try my hardest. It's my decision."